International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend 17 Aug 2024

International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend

The lighthouse featured in today"s image stands in Carvoeiro in the Algarve on the southern coast of Portugal. Built in 1919, the Alfanzina lighthouse shines out over the ocean to help ships navigate the dangerous waters that surround the area. A popular tourist destination, the lighthouse also has become a symbol of the region"s deep links to the sea. If you"re lucky enough to live near a lighthouse, this weekend is the perfect time to pay it a visit.

© Andreas Kunz/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

To the infinite and back
Ahead of the curve
17 Aug 2025International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
17 Aug 2026False clownfish off Cabilao Island, Bohol, Philippines

More Desktop Wallpapers:

8 Nov 2024Glacial rivers, Iceland
Shell-ebrating sea turtles
3 Dec 2023Advent Sunday
The sun sets on British Summer Time
Babbling on and on
Just a pinch
Blending in nicely
7 Aug 2025Sweetheart Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Big rocks, big heads
It’s party time
See-through cephalopod
Warm light through an ancient forest
8 Dec 2023La Rocque Harbour, Jersey
4 Jun 2025Cala Luna beach, Sardinia, Italy
11 Mar 2026Peach trees in Cieza, Murcia, Spain
The bears of summer
17 Oct 2023Spreadsheet Day
7 Aug 2026Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
16 Jul 2025Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
Panoramic Penzance
3 Aug 2026Colourful boats in Marsaxlokk Harbour, Malta
Gateway to Iberia
11 May 2025Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
12 Aug 2026World Elephant Day
16 Dec 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
How can we help at-risk animals?
Celebrating the Scottish bard
20 Sep 2025Oktoberfest begins!
Turtle-y nice day for a swim
24 Apr 2024The white trilliums in Ontario, Canada